


Hiraeth

by d0gteeth



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Family Drama, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28539873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d0gteeth/pseuds/d0gteeth
Summary: Hiraeth (n). homesickness for a home you can’t return to, or that never was.Fundy and Phil are walking on eggshells around eachother after the attempted execution. After an argument, Ranboo does his best to help.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 93





	Hiraeth

It's raining.

Water pours onto the home, splattering against tinted windows. Philza finds himself cooped up close to the fireplace, a thick furred cloak wrapped around his shoulders in an attempt to keep away the cold. He can hear soft paws pad through his home, but he doesn't dare turn his head.

"Grandpa?" The voice is soft, no doubt a few steps behind him. Philza keeps his eyes locked on the fire and hugs the cloak closer. There is soft shuffling, before a paw taps his shoulder. "I know you're ignoring me, but it's cold, and I can't add more logs if you're in the way."

Philza sits for a long moment, and contemplates staying. Maybe it would teach the boy something important. Respect your elders, or something of the like. He doubts it. Nobody listens to that sort of thing anymore.

Standing up, Phil slips out of the way. The taller boy awkwardly walks by, and sets the logs into the fire. Warmth hungrily bites at the cold, and his wings ruffle softly in content. It really had been getting cold.

Noticing Fundy lingering too long at his side, Phil grumbled. "What do you want, Fundy?" he asked, eyes still glued to the fire. He could practically hear the boys tail nervously flicking back and forth.

"Just-" Fundy goes silent for a moment, as if chewing on his words, "you hate me?" He sounds weak and small, like a kit just old enough to think on its own. It makes Phil's heart ache; he sounds just like his father.

He isn't sure how to respond. 'Yes' is on the tip of his tongue, but it sticks and doesn't come loose. Instead, he settles on, "Sort of. I'm sure you know why." Fundy is silent, before he sighs, loud and long.

"Techno hurt all of us; he *killed* Tubbo." Fundy's voice is firm, but there's an edge of uncertainty to it. Like he's reading off a memorized script. "He set off two withers and fatally hurt me and Quackity. I walk with a *limp*, Phil."

That's when Phil finally turns his head to look at his grandson. The kit shies back for a second, before standing his ground.

"Techno did what he thought was right," Phil says lowly, gaze sending daggers, "You used him as a weapon, didn't you? He told you he wanted to destroy the government, and yet you built one right in front of him." He has to fight to keep his voice level, but Fundy does not act as conscious.

"He didn't need to solve it by blowing up L'manburg!" Fundy's voice is a shout of bordering rage, before realization crosses his face. Phil's shoulders slacken, and he blinks.

"Fundy, Wilbur was the-"

And suddenly, Fundy has tears gathering in his eyes as he scrambles out of the house. Phil is barely able to react as his front door slams in his face, and he's left momentarily speechless. He moves to the door, and opens it. The downpour is harsh, rain slamming into the boardwalk, splashing up and hitting Phil's pants. Phil cant make out a single speck of warm orange in the rainstorm, and he sighs. He needs to find Fundy.

The ankle monitor is heavy on his body, but he doesn't know if Fundy will even take shelter. He's rather self destructive, Phil's learned. It's similar to his fathers. Standing in the doorframe, he sighs, before ducking into his home. Dropping the cloak, he slips out of the house, and raises his wings to create a covering for himself. Water still drips on his head, but it's the best he can do.

"Fundy!!" Phil shouts, raising an arm above his head to help keep the water out of his eyes. The rain beats angrly against his wings as his ankle monitor screams at him for stepping out of his home. Moving across the slippery wood, Phil keeps his free hand extended, trying to keep himself from falling. He shouts for Fundy again, squinting to see through the rain. He can't even see his home anymore. God, where is he?

Suddenly, a large hand grabs him by the back of his shirt and he is yanked backwards. Squawking, Phil's wings frantically flap out as he falls into someone's arms, only stopping when he realizes he's out of the rain. Whoever caught him hisses in pain, but they still help him stand. Phil then realizes he's under one of the stands, and when he looks to the culprit, he blinks in surprise.

"Ranboo?" The lanky being gives an awkward wave, face creased in pain. His hands shake, and Phil can see blisters form where water touched skin.

"Heya Phil. Ive uh, got one of those things that tells me when you leave. I wanted to get you in before anyone got mad but..." He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck, "I heard you shouting for Fundy." Phil lets out a slow breath, placing a hand over his heart as he collects himself. The two stood in vague silence, listening to the rain pour.

"You should go back inside," Phil says gently, "your skin is burning. You're gonna get hurt." Ranboo only furrows his brow, and points to the umbrella in his other hand.

"You need help Phil. You got lost in the rain." Despite the firmness in his voice, his eyes etched with worry and anxiousness. If Phil insisted he left one more time, he was sure Ranboo would just leave him be. But... Ranboo was close with Fundy. He'd have an easier time getting Fundy home.

Sighing, Phil nodded. Ranboo quickly opened his umbrella, and carefully stepped out from under the booth. Taking a moment to shake some water off his wings, before stepping under the umbrella. Grabbing a fistful of Ranboo's suit, Phil shuffled close, before beginning to shout for Fundy. Before long, Ranboo is shouting with him.

Ranboo is more familiar with the area, Phil realizes as he is gently pulled along. The other is painstakingly slow, obviously trying to keep pace with the shorter man. Phil shifts his wings in a meek attempt to keep any extra rain from hitting the gangly boy as they walk. However, no matter how much they shout, no one responds.

Ducking into one of the booths, Phil pulls Ranboo with him. The boy nearly trips over himself, but Phil helps him climb in without falling over. Looking over the still raining area, he sighs. Fundy was nowhere to be seen. If anything, they'd be better off to wait till the storm died down before continuing to search. And with the way Ranboo's body shook, face contorted in pain, Phil knew the boy couldn't be out for much longer.

"We'll wait for the storm to die down, you can stay with me till then," he shouts over the rain, tugging gently on the other's suit to grab his attention. Ranboo nods, a look of relief flashing over his face, before confusion.

"You want me to stay with you?" Whose voice is strained and pitchy, holding back sounds of pain. Phil winces; he must be hurting bad.

"Of course." He says simply, before pulling Ranboo back out into the rain.

It takes longer than Phil would like to navigate through the plaza, but as the door comes into view, he quickly ushers the half enderman inside. Closing the door behind him, Phil turns so his wings face away from Ranboo before shaking them out.

Inside is unbelievably warm, sending comforting shivers through Philza. The ankle monitor stops its screaming, and Philza quickly looks to Ranboo to check on him.

Philza's wings puff out as he sees the boy collapsed on the ground in pain. He curses under his breath as he rushes to a chest, shuffling through it, before pulling out clothes and a towel. Kneeling near Ranboo, he swipes wet hair out of his half-n-half face.

"Ranboo, put this on. Getting in dry clothes will help." The boy lets out a weak noise, and is motionless for a long moment, before slowly sitting up. When Phil confirms he won't collapse and die, he climbs up to the second level to hunt down a first aid kit.

-

When Phil finishes patching up Ranboo, he helps guide the boy to sit by the fire. He watches the poor boy shake softly, hands digging into the soft blue clothes he's been given. The spare clothes are a gift from Techno. They are suited to have fit Alivebur, but since Ghostbur didn't really have legs anymore, it left the outfit useless until someone else coule claim them. Phil had intended to give them to Tommy, but the boy had been exiled a day later.

Thanks to them having been meant for lanky Wilbur, they fit Ranboo almost perfectly. The blues look good on the hybrid, Philza thinks distantly. It would keep him warm in the snow. Snatching his own cloak off the floor, he heaves it onto Ranboo's shoulders. It doesn't reach far, but it's plenty warm, and the other burrows into it.

Snatching a healing pot from his hip, Phil scooted to be at Ranboo's side. Gently taking the other hand, he hummed. "Unclench your hand for me, okay? I'll help you drink this potion." A strange, raspy noise came from Ranboo, one that reminded him of the gangly monsters out in the wild. Then, the hands unclenched.

Shifting Ranboo's hands around the bottle, Phil did his best to help guide the potion without looking in the others eyes. As soon as Ranboo got the drink to his mouth, Phil watched in shock as the other drank it in one swallow. Laughing softly, Phil took the bottle.

"You drank that like a shot," he hummed, climbing to his feet. Moving to his chests, he began to search for food.

"I hate the taste of healing pots," Ranboo grumbles, tucking the cloak closer to his body. Breathing out a laugh, Phil pulled a jug out from the bottom of the chest. Mushroom soup; a gift from Fundy before the execution. It's still good, and Phil is not one to waste food. Turning his attention to Ranboo, he cocked his head.

"Hey mate, how do you feel about mushroom soup?" A mitch matched face turns to look at him, wide cat eyes blinking curiously.

"It's good." Nodding at the confirmation, Phil snatched the bucket near the fireplace, and began to pour some of the stew inside. Its aj incredibly rough guess, and he's sure there is more in there then needed, but it's good enough. Setting the bucket onto a hook above the fire, Philza then plopped beside Ranboo.

The silence that overcomes them is nice. A low, soft rumble comes from Ranboo's chest, reminding Phil of a cat purring. As warmth smooths through his bones, he hums in content. This has to be the most safe he felt ever since he was locked in his home. Ranboo isn't like any member of the cabinet; an odd middle between two opposing sides.

Maybe he trusts Ranboo more than he should. But the boy didn't tell anyone where Techno was. He was expertly silent about it, and even seemed to dodge around talking about Techno in general. Even if Ranboo had a horrible back bone and would collapse under the slightest pressure, it felt good to know someone was on his side.

When he heard the soup bubbling, he quickly stood. Snatching some bowls from the chest nearest him, he grabbed a ladle that rested on the shelf above the fireplace, and began to fill the bowls. Handing both bowls to Ranboo, he shifted the pot to settle on a cooler part of the fire. Grabbing some spoons, he exchanged a spoon for his bowl, before sitting beside Ranboo again.

The soup is thick and vaguely creamy. The mushrooms aren't cut up, so Phil uses his spoon to mishappenly chop up the ones in his bowl. Ranboo lets out a content sound beside him, and Phil begins to eat.

"This is really good," Ranboo hums, words muddled from the soup still in his mouth. Phil laughs softly, and nods. Ranboo takes a long drink before speaking again.

"So... What's up with Fundy?" His voice is careful, as if stepping around a landmine. Phil furrows his brows, staring hard at his soup.

"It's... Complicated," he says softly, and that's that.

Silence settles over them again, and Phil focuses on finishing his soup. it's warm, stretching out through his limbs and wings. When he finishes, he sets the bowl down in front of him. Standing, Phil grabbed the pot of stew, and took it off the fire.. As soon as he sat back down, he felt his body relax. Suddenly, exhaustion rushed through him. Wings falling limp at his back, he felt himself dosing as he sat. He didn't even process as Ranboo set his own dish down, and barely processed the boy leaning against him.

Head leaning to the side, Phil hummed softly as he was met with warmth. A soft purr came from Ranboo as he huddled close, and soon, they were both asleep.

-

The rain had stopped by the time Phil awoke. He was incredibly warm, and his brain struggled to catch up. Blinking away sleep, he rubbed his eyes, before looking around. Light pools through the windows, and he can see the sun just above the horizon. A floorboard creaks loudly, and Phil whips his head to the side, body tensing. However, he relaxes when he sees who it is.

"Hey Phil," Fundy's voice is low and groggy, exhaustion laced on his tongue. His hair still looks wet, and there is tiredness in his eyes. The fox boys coat is hung on the coat rack, and his hands are protectively holding a bowl of soup. When Phil glances back at the fire, he can see the bucket back on the hook.

"Hello Fundy," Phil says carefully, looking back to his grandson. Fundy vaguely waves his spoon at Phil's side.

"Whys Ranboo here?" Startling, Phil turned his head. Ranboo was still dead asleep against him, curled into a tight ball, the cloak nearly drowning him. Now more conscious, Phil can practically feel the vibrations from the boy as he purrs in content.

"When you ran off last night, i went out to find you," He says carefully, "i nearly got lost, but Ranboo came out to help. He helped me look for you, but he eventually got too hurt to keep going. I plan on keeping him here till he's fully healed." He doesn't dare mention how the rain marks will leave scars, because he can see the way Fundy's face twists into guilt. Phil doesn't point it out.

The silence that settles on the home sits oddly, and Phil is not sure if it's good or not. On one hand, he's glad to know Fundy is safe and not dead in some ditch. On another, he remembers the look of fear in Techno's eyes and a falling anvil. He isn't sure how to feel, conflict stirring uncomfortably in his chest.

He could kill Fundy, he thinks mildly, but instantly repels from the thought. He quickly tells himself Techno's bloodlust rubbed off on him again. He ignores how his fingers twitch, how he wants to stride across the room to grab his sword and swing. Replace Techno's fearful eyes with Fundy's. But then again, Fundy and Wilbur's eyes are the same color. He isn't sure if he can deal with seeing warm brown eyes stare into his soul when he kills them.

Ranboo rustles slightly at his side, large ears fluffing up and twitching. He yawns, mouth stretching inhumanely wide. It makes Phil's jaw hurt just seeing it. Ranboo stretches out like a cat, before opening wide eyes and looking around. He looms groggy, and Phil is glad the boy wasn't awake for his awkward conversation with Fundy.

"Oh, hello Fundy." Ranboo greets tiredly, rubbing his eyes. Fundy lets out a quiet hum as he swallows more of his soup.

"Heya Ranboo. You uh- you good?" His paw gestures offhandedly. Ranboo looks down at his own large hands twisting them back and forth. Phil did his best to wrap them properly, but he knows the wounds are still fresh.

"Should be! I just won't be able to hold a sword for a little bit," Ranboo lets out a laugh, wincing as he flexes his hand. 

As silence settles over them again, Phil brings himself to his feet. Scooping the dirty bowls off the floor, he slips them into the water basin. Snatching a kettle from a top barrel and looking at Fundy and Ranboo, he holds up a teabag.

" Tea?" Fundy shrugs and Ranboo nods, so Phil fills it with enough water to provide for 3 people and sets it on the hook beside the pot.

-

It's midday by the time Fundy and Ranboo finally leave, and Phil contents himself to sit in the doorway of his second floor. He watches the two run about as he holds his fifth cup of tea that day, cradling it in his hands. The heavy downpour from the night before washed away all the snow, so Ranboo and Fundy were left to drag snowmen around New L'manburg again.

They are too far out for Phil to stalk the conversation. But, with the way they get quiet when they pass his home, he knows it's about him. Hes not dumb - not by any means. He has two sons of his own. He knows when teenagers are gossiping about him, even if they think they are being slick.

Phil runs his thumb over his ceramic cup. Someone needs to talk to Fundy. He isn't sure who, but the boy is hurt to a degree Phil can't begin to understand without all the pieces. Bits of being harrassed by Schlatt, abandoned by Wilbur, stuck in the shadow of a father who was driven to madness. There's more, Phil imagines.

Fundy is a tattered boy, who needs someone to love and care for him. Phil knows he can't fill that role for him.

It's dark by the time Ranboo and Fundy come inside. Phil keeps himself cooped on the second level to give the two their space. He's sure they think they are being quiet, but the floors and walls are thin. Phil contents himself to listening to them talk.

There's quiet movements downstairs. Something gets hooked above the fireplace, before two people sit. It's silent, before they begin to talk.

"I met with Ghostbur last night," Fundy's voice is soft, barely audible, "he doesn't remember blowing up L'manburg. I think i forgot with him." Ranboo is quiet. Phil cant see, but the taller boy is leaning against Fundy, providing warmth and comfort.

"I don't have a family anymore, really. They all hate me or I can't stand them. I... Don't know how to feel."

"Didn't Eret want to adopt you?" Ranboo's voice is gentle, snd Phil can hear the softest sound of Fundy hiccuping.

"She *did*, but they didn't show. I wasn't as important to them as he was to me." As Fundy's voice wavers and cracks, there's sft shuffling, and then sobs are being muffled. Out of Phil's view, Fundy is coiled in Ranboo's lap as the gangly half n half curls around him.

As the conversation fades, Phil sighs. A light rain rolls in, and it tip taps against the windows. It's gentler than the one from the previous night; and it brings a low lull to the home. Ranboo and Fundy are drowned out by soft rain, and Phil allows himself to sleep

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic!! Its been in the works for a long while now, and im glad to have finally finished it.  
> If you enjoyed it, please leave a kudos and/or comment!


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